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North Vancouver dad charged with threatening 10-year-old hockey player

File photo - Terry Mukhtiar Singh Litt, 57, was charged with threatening a 10-year-old player on his son’s Atom 3 Burnaby Winter Club team following a 3-5 loss to a North Vancouver Atom team at the arena Feb. 21.

Photograph by: Jana Chytilova
, Ottawa Citizen

METRO VANCOUVER -- A hockey dad from the Burnaby Winter Club has been criminally charged with threatening a 10-year-old hockey player following a locker room incident at North Vancouver’s Karen Magnussen Arena.

Terry Mukhtiar Singh Litt, 57, was charged with threatening a 10-year-old player on his son’s Atom 3 Burnaby Winter Club team following a 3-5 loss to a North Vancouver Atom team at the arena Feb. 21.

Richard DeJong, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP, said police were called after an incident in which Litt allegedly walked into the dressing room and “verbally assaulted and threatened” one of his son’s 10-year-old teammates.

DeJong said the incident, which allegedly happened in front of the other players, was both rare and unfortunate.

The incident happened when tempers were running high following the Burnaby team’s loss during a playoff game.

The hockey dad’s verbal assault was allegedly aimed at one of the defencemen on his son’s team, made of nine- and 10-year-olds.

Len McNeely, manager of the Burnaby Winter Club, called the incident “really sad.”

“This doesn’t happen very often,” he said, adding there is a code of conduct including proper behaviour that parents are supposed to follow.

According to that code of conduct, “parents must be positive role models” and “verbal abuse of players, referees, coaches, team managers, hockey officials or other parents will not be tolerated,” as stated in information posted on the club’s website.

Yelling at a young player — as is alleged in this case — is “totally unacceptable” under that code of conduct, said McNeely.

McNeely said after the incident, the club banned Litt from attending further Burnaby Winter Club hockey games.

He has since chosen to withdraw his son from the team, said McNeely.

Calls to Litt’s lawyer Phil Riddell were not returned by press time.

None of the allegations have been proven in court and Litt has not entered a plea to the charge.

File photo - Terry Mukhtiar Singh Litt, 57, was charged with threatening a 10-year-old player on his son’s Atom 3 Burnaby Winter Club team following a 3-5 loss to a North Vancouver Atom team at the arena Feb. 21.